David Stern got his chance on WFAN Thursday, a day after Billy Hunter expressed optimism while spinning the same rhetoric we’ve heard for months. Stern got his own rhetoric on, but more importantly, he dropped this raven on the window sill.

So that’s how it’s going to be, eh, NBA? You’re stealing Christmas? You want to take Christmas away from us, in October?

Stern’s comment is alarming, which makes you wonder how accurate it is. Look, the two sides are miles apart, even if they’re feet apart on BRI. There’s no way they’re closing the gap in five days when they’re not even meeting before then. So how are they going to close it? They’re meeting with a mediator on Monday. In two days he’s supposed to clear up three years of distrust and dispute? Furthermore, Stern waited until just this week to cancel games in less than a month. So why then would Christmas be in so much danger a week later?

The answer comes in that Stern’s applying pressure, just as he did with the threat of canceling games, and the bigger concern is that if a deal doesn’t get done next week, this thing goes into the courts. Both sides know it, both sides are afraid of it, both sides are trying to avoid it.

Stern also said that it was the players’ side who brought up the 50/50 compromise, the second time he’s made that assertion which the union disputes in the past month. He then claimed that the union’s “negotiator” which is code for Billy Hunter, could not get the deal approved by the union, with Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett going into their “gnash teeth” mode. It was a pretty brutal undercut of Hunter, another sign of Stern’s maneuverability in the ring.

“Robert” you must be one of those lame types that don’t posess an athletic bone in your body, got kicked around in school, because your were weak, and/or got your girl stolen by the captain of the basketball team? LOL, you sound jealous and pathetic! “Good riddence”?? Really? Your woman must outwardly express her love for the hard-bods that are the Gods of the NBA. Once again: Pathetic! Or better still, you must live in a city where the basketball team reaks, and is not even worthy to be in in the National Basketball Association. . .one more time (for the road): PATHETIC!! Why are you even reading articles pertaining to the NBA and it’s future if you don’t care? You sound real stupid, jealous, and dumb!! These are the livelyhoods of families that you are denouncing. I hope your job lays you off, and tells you: “good riddence”! You’d be deserving of that and a whole lot more. GO BULLS!!!! GO CELTS!! Let’s get this show back on the road!!

All fans, you know, the ones that pay the bills for all those lavish salaries and mega-TV contracts, wish to tell the NBA that if there’s no deal by Tuesday, we boycott the entire season and you billionaire crybabies can all go f*ck yourselves. Is that okay, David?

Let’s see . No NBA basketball on Christmas . Maybe , I’ll spend some time with my kids and as a family we can sit on the dinner table and thank the good Lord for all our blessings . Wait a minute ! Maybe I’ll get down on my knee’s and thank the Lord for the birth of his son Jesus Christ . After all , that’s why we celebrate Christmas right ? No NBA basketball on Christmas ? Maybe the players can spend some time with their families and thank the good Lord they have jobs . Christmas is the best time of the year and it’s not because of NBA basketball .

to solve da problem for NBA small Market teams are more revenue share with big market
and small Market (NFL style) fix da draft (NFL style) worst team get the 1st pick
that how u get competitive balance
lower contract instead of max is 5yrs make it 4yrs

Let’s see . No NBA basketball on Christmas . Maybe , I’ll spend some time with my kids and as a family we can sit on the dinner table and thank the good Lord for all our blessings . Wait a minute ! Maybe I’ll get down on my knee’s and thank the Lord for the birth of his son Jesus Christ . After all , that’s why we celebrate Christmas right ? No NBA basketball on Christmas ? Maybe the players can spend some time with their families and thank the good Lord they have jobs . Christmas is the best time of the year and it’s not because of NBA basketball
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something tells me the whole season is lost….and so is the nba as we have known it….why? …..weren’t more than half the teams losing money even before the strike….with an entire lost season,and the ire of the guy who pays the bills,i.e,the ‘fan’,it may not be a stretch to say 8-10 teams may survive a lost season….fat cat rich players presume alot in assuming that ‘it’ will ‘always’ be there to come back to…..at risk is not only a lost season but a complete downsizing of the nba( 10-20 teams left?),as well as players salaries….

I stand with the owners! If the players don’t think they have enough money then own their own business and see what it’s like to run a business or work a job. I wonder what kind of salaries they will get? They were made stars by the NBA, and they get paid plenty. Let Lebron share his salary or endorsements with the other greedy players. Why do NBA players think they are above everybody else. The average person can hardly afford to go to a game anymore. GREEDY PLAYERS.